Pin binder



P. H. DIXON Sept. 9, 1952 BIN BINDER Filed June 7, 1949 W v-Iullil CATTORNBY/ V! NWMW Q a Patented Sept. 9, 1952 a ee. Paul'flr-Dixon, Rockford, Ill.,-assignor-to Dixo'n .Research,.Inc.; Rockford,.lll.; a corporationof.

Illinois Applicationjune 7, 1949; Serial No. 97,654

1 Claim. (Cl. 24 -153) This invention relates generally to fasteners for binding together several' sheets' of 'paper or the like having registering holes therein and, more particularly, to the type of paper fastener having a--head portion which is adapted to lie against one side of a bookletformed bythe sheets of paper bound together and from which elongated legs project laterally through the holes in theasheets. The free'end portions of thelegs which project beyond the other side of the booklet are usually bent laterally away from each other to lie against the booklet.

The principal object ofthe present invention is to provide a fastener of the type above described which reduces the possibilityof tearing of the edges of the holes in the sheets to be bound, keeps the sheets closelyalined, and is easy to manipulate.

. Another'object is to provide a fastenerof the above character which has a substantially fiat annular head and two elongated legs projecting therefrom andis formed from a single piece of sheet metal;v

Still. another. object is to provide a fastener whichbinds a plurality of .sheetstogether to form a booklet and whichmay also be used with,

a pin or ring type binder for several booklets. j

A further object is to facilitate bending of the legs in the initial formation and service use of .the fastener by forming each leg with a slot extending longitudinally of the leg substantially throughout its length.

y The invention also resides in the novel construction and arrangement of the head and legs which enables the fastener to be made from sheet metal and at a low cost in a series ofsheet metal forming operations. a,

Another object is to provide a washer of novel construction especially adapted for use with a fastener of the above character. A more detailed object is to protect the edges of the sheet holes and to aline the sheets by presenting rounded surfaces to the hole edges and by spacing the legs from the axis of the fastener head.

Other objectsand advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure l is a perspective view of a fastener and a washer embodying the novel features of the present invention.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views showing various steps in the formation of the fastener. Fig. 7. is a plan view of the fastener. n

securing together ,gether. "shown to facilitate passing of the legs through Figzfiis a vertical sectional view of the fastener.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the washer on the legs.

Fig. 10 is 'a sectional View taken along the line I0l0 ofFig. 9. v a

For purposes of illustration, the present invention is shown embodied in afastener ll of the type used to bind several sheets l2 of paper or the like together into a booklet or pad and having two elongated generally straight legs l3 whose inner ends are joined to a substantially flat disklike head I4. Ordinarily the sheets 12' are formed with registering circular holes l5 punched therefrom forreceiving the legs I3 so that the head 14, which is wider than the holes, lies flat against one .side. [6 of the booklet andouter end portionsll of the'legsproj'e'ct beyond the other side 18 of the booklet. ."Bybending the end po tio s f the l laterallyaway from each other to. lie against the booklet, the sheets will be securely bound to- The end portions I! may be tapered as the sheet holes.

- In accordance with'oneaspect of the-invention,

thefastenerl I, presents rounded surfaces to the edges of the sheet holes [5 to protectthe latter from tearing and contacts a substantial portion thereof to keep the sheets closely alined. [I accomplish these ends, the legs l3 are spaced. laterally from the axis of the head [4 on diametrically opposite sides thereof and are of 'arcuatecross section with the longitudinal side edges IQ of the legs: curved transversely of the legs and toward each other. In the present instance, the legs are curved so as to lie substantially in a circle having the axis of the head as its center and a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the sheet holes. With this arrangement, the space between the edges of the holes and the outer-surfaces of'the legs is large enough to permit easy entry of the legs into the hole, but small enough toprevent more than a slight lateral shifting of the adjacent sheets relative to each other. By conforming the cross section of the legs to the curvatureof the sheet holes, the legs contact a substantial arc of the edge of each hole whereby a considerable force is required to start a tear in the sheets 12. 1 I

To enable the fastener to be made from a single sheet metal stamping with the head M ac'tingas a washer and providing a large bearing surface for the portions of the legs I3 lying against one side of the sheets to be bound and adjacent the edges of the holes l5 therein, the head is formed with a central hole .20 and is generallynannular in shape. The legs, afterv the fastener is formed,

lie partially across the flat portion of the head between the inner and outer peripheries thereof and project laterally from the inner periphery with the radius of the latter being approximately equal to the radius of the sheet holes l so that the legs will be easily received in the sheet holes.

In this instance, the sheet metal stamping before the forming operations (see Fig. 2) comprises a flat ring which constitutes the head M and two elongated generally straight leg portions integral with the head and projecting radially outward from diametrically opposite portions on the outer periphery thereof. tener, both legs l3 are bent first reversely to lie across the adjacent portion of one side of the head 14 between the inner and outer peripheries thereof and then laterally of the head and through the central hole 20. It ha been found that with this construction, the head thickness will be small thereby avoiding excessive bulk in finished booklets, and the inner end portions of the legs adjacent the outer periphery of the head remain fiat against the latter during bending of the legs without being welded or otherwise-secured thereto.

Difi'erent stages in the formation of a fastener in this manner are shown in Figs. 1 through 6, the sheet metal stamping being shownin Fig. 2 and the finished fastener in Fig. 1. shown in Fig. 3, the other end portions H of each leg are bent upwardly. Next (see Fig. 4)., the legs are bent upwardly at the junction 24 between the legs :and the head toward each other until the bent up end portions engage each other as shown 5. Finally, with the end portions extending downwardly toward the central hole 20, both legs .are threaded through the latter (Fig. 6) and the unfinished fastener isv passed through a forming operation in which :the inner end portions are pressed against the head and the legs are curved to conform to the shape of theiholewith a portion of the outer "surface of each leg. lying against the edge of the hole. By extending the legs partially across the head, the latter is substantially reinforced and provides -a large and flat bearing surface for the portions of the legslying against the sides of the sheets 'to be bound.

To facilitate control of the legs during the initial forming operations and, also, to facilitate lateral bending of the legs toward andaway from each other in service use, each leg is formed with a longitudinally extending and centrally disposed slot 2 2 which extends from the portion of each leg between the inner and outer peripheriesof the head l through the middle portion thereof, and into the outer end portion I! but short of the outer end of the leg. The slot 22 is substantially narrower than the width of the leg so that there will be sufiicient material along the portions of the leg adjacent the slot to render the leg stiff enough for the portion thereof bent against the sheets to maintain its position.

The invention also resides in the provision of a novel washer 23 which is especially adapted for use withthe fastener described herein and which lies against the side 18 of the booklet remote from the fastener head and cooperates with the legs to support each of the latter on both of its sides during clinching of the end portions I! thereof against the sheets and during straightening of each leg. To this end, the washer 23, which is generally annular in shape, is formed, with two First, as 1 To :form the fascurved slots 24 stamped from the central portion of the washer on opposite sides of a hole 25 for receiving the legs l3 of the fastener so that the opposite edges of each slot constitutes leg supports.

In the present instance the slots 24 are curved so as to lie approximately in a circle having a diameter substantially equal to the distance between the legs I3. The latter are supported on their outer surfaces during bending laterally outward by the outer edges of the slots and on their inner surfaces during bending inwardly by a generally circular flange 26 which project laterally from one side of the washer and defines the inner edges of the slots and the periphery of the central hole. Support for the flange is offected by radial web members 21 disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the flange between the curved slots 24, the radial thickness of the fiange2ii being suflicient to support the legsadequatel-y without appreciably reducing the siz of the space between the legs.

To use the novel fastener H and washer 23 above described to .bind together a plurality of sheets I 2, the sheets are first alined to bring the holes 15 into register. Then, by grasping the fastener head Hi, the straight legs l3 of the fastener are extended into the alined sheet holes until the head lies 'againstone side 16 of the booklet and the outer end portions ll of the legs project beyond the other side of the booklet. Next, the washer, after alinement of the legs 13 with the curved slots 24 in the washer, is moved toward the legs until the latter pass into the slots and the washer is lying against the other side l8 of the booklet with the flange 26 extending into the sheet holes I5. Finally, the outer end portions ll of the legs are bent laterally away from each other so as to clinch them against the washer with the outer edges of the slots '24 supporting the legs during the bending thereof.

To remove the fastener from the booklet or to add more sheets, the legs are bent inwardly toward each other to a generally straight position so that the operator may slip the Washer 23 off from. the ends of the legs to permit the latter to be pulled out from the sheet holes. In this case, the flange 24 supports each leg on its inner surface.

Since the support for the legs is located adjacent the points where the bends therein are to be made, the legs may be easily bent to substantially right angles to lie flat against the sheets to be bound or may be easily straightened. 'The edges of the slots 23, being curved, act as guides during bending of the legs 'so that the portions of the latter within the sheet holes (5 when the end portions H are bent, conform to the curvature of the sheet holes and keep the sheets alined.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that, by employing a fiat head M, the bulk thereof is minimized and, by making the legs l3 integral with the head and threading the legs across the latter and through the hole 20, the head automatically becomes a washer with a large bearing surface for receiving the tension and sustaining the clamping pressure applied through the legs in binding together a plurality of sheets. Thus, the head l4 serves the purpose of the separate washer or separate head used with the ordinary type of fastener.

Forming both the head 44 and the washer 23 with axially alined holes enables finished booklets each individually bound together by the fastener and washer described herein to be secured together in a standard pin or ring type binder having an elongated pin or enlarged ring which may be extended through the axially alined holes of the finished booklets. Since a substantial force is required to start a tear in the edges of the sheet 5 holes, sheets bound together by thefastener will be preserved for a long period of time without the use of'reinforcements, such as a ring of fabric or the like, around the edges of the sheet holes.

Moreover, the longitudinally extending slots in 10 Number the legs facilitate bending of the latter to effect an even distribution of the alinement surface on the outer sides of the legs without excessive force being required to bend the legs.

I claim as my invention:

A fastener comprising a fiat disk, and two elongated legs of arcuate cross section secured to and projecting from said disk in laterally spaced parallel relation, the outer surfaces of said legs being concentric with the axis of said disk and lying on a common cylinder and each of said legs having a longitudinal slot extending substantially 6 throughout its length to facilitate lateral bending of the legs toward and away from each other.

PAUL H. DIXON.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

